Europe’s leading 14 and 16 & Under players have gathered at CT Rocco Polimeni in Reggio Calabria, Italy, for the 2014 edition of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour’s season-ending Masters tournament.
The event gets underway on Friday morning and features the top eight boys and girls of each age group, based on ranking points earned at Tennis Europe Junior Tour events throughout the season.
While the tournament referee was preparing the draws, the players took a break from practice to take part in the annual ITF/Tennis Europe Educational Forum. The event is devised to provide players with practical knowledge and tips to assist them on their paths to becoming elite junior and professional players. The workshop was chaired by Tennis Europe’s Communications Manager Jonathan Jobson, who was joined by sports media and PR experts Faye Andrews and Sig Watkins of The Emilia Group.
The forum examined the roles played by the International Tennis Federation and Tennis Europe in the governance and development of the sport and its tournaments at all levels. Players were also given some all-important guidance on the responsibility of all professional tennis athletes to abide by the sport’s strong anti-doping rules. This included advice on the process of post-match and out-of-competition testing and what to expect should they be tested.
The forum then examined the media responsibilities of today’s players, with tips for sensible and productive use of social media, as well as guidance on interview techniques and a study of the how top players harness the media to promote themselves, to service sponsors and to engage with fans. In an interactive session, players were given practical tasks and took part in a mock press conference with 14 & Under player Mihaela Marculescu (ROU), who volunteered to play the role of a Grand Slam champion.
Following a prize giveaway, players, coaches, officials and club staff gathered to celebrate the opening ceremony of the prestigious tournament. Play at the Tennis Europe Junior Masters begins at 10am on Friday morning, when Europe’s top players will commence their campaigns to follow in the footsteps of former champions such as Rafael Nadal, Tommy Robredo and Kim Clijsters.
Tennis Europe Junior Masters: Draws
Boys 14 & Under | Girls 14 & Under
Boys 16 & Under | Girls 16 & Under
Order of Play